failing optifast stage!

[smilingsoph 0]

I am in the Optifast stage 12 days before surgery and i am really struggling. I am so hungry, i can not get to sleep at night due to hungry pains and the head hunger certainly doesnt help. my sugeon had told me to try the optifast for 3 weeks before surgery but when i spoke to the dietian last week she thought 2 weeks should be enough so i ate normally again until it was 2 weeks before the op. I wanted to know how others got on and if they managed to to stick to just the optifast. I cheated last night and ate toast, i am starting to wonder if i should have the op at all, if i cant stick to the diet now!! please help, im feeling very desperate. By the way,my weight is about 115kg and the reason the surgeon suggested an extra week on optifast is because I know that i have a slightly fatty liver due to an x-ray i had done a few months ago. Also does anyone have trouble cutting out the alcohol in their diet?

[mia31771 0]

I followed my pre-op diet pretty strictly but mine wasn't as strict as yours..I only had to do a sugar busters diet, which was the cut out everything white like rice, potatoes, etc...Now the post-op diet was hard because I didnt swell much and i was starving...I actually moved on to foods sooner and did tell my dr. I would tell your Dr. and just let him know. I dont think eating one peice of toast would rule you out for surgery, but if you cheat everyday it certainly might. I wish there was ONE set of guidlines everyone had to follow= because some dr's dont even require a pre=op diet at all, which makes it very frustrating for the rest. Heck I just had my first fill and can go back to solids after two days if I can tolerate them, some doctors make their patients do liquids for an entire week. There is a lot of variation, but be honest with your Dr. I'm sure you aren't the first patient he's had to cheat. But I won't lie- I have questioned whether I made the right decision because It was VERY hard for me to follow the post-op liquid diet. Good LUck, let us know how you do..I think we all question ourselves.

[*susan* 1,709]

I would definitely talk to your doctor about how you are struggeling with this. I know my doctor has all his patients go on a diet similiar to Optifast for two to three weeks prior to surgery. I have known a few patients who were also very hungry and when they talked to him about it, he permitted them to have a small chicken breast in the evenings. Perhaps your doctor would be willing to allow something such as that as well.